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Sources for Aria Pro II pickups.

#41
Canadian APII said:
At that price 375+250=625 Rautia pickups would be the way to go since a fully operating SB2 is 1000-1200 roughly. If you go this way get the hotter wound pickups. You won't regret it. If your in the States Kent Armstrong is in Vermont. He makes amazing pickups, they just don't sound like MB2s. They are blade construction not polepiece construction.
armstrong-Pickup-37-tr | Armstrong Pickups
There is also Reed James but while the pickups apparently sound great his customer service is questionable. He also does a neodymium magnet pickup that is supposed to sound great.
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
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I originally bought the bass for 500 and when I got it she needed some much needed electronics updating. Guy gave me a nice refund of 150 but now I'm just trying to locate a pickup. I'm not sure if my bass is an early elite or a sb-r80 with a rare finish. I just want this bass to have a lot of tone options and haven't been too familiar with these style.of pickups. Sorry if I'm being a noob
 
#42
In my experience MB-1E are very middy with a tone described as a honk. The MBII is bassier. The MBIII more bassier and the MBIV is super bassy. The MBIV has magnets under so the sponge in your bass will compress even more. The MBII has no pole piece holes and the MBIII does. Internally each is a completely different construction and the tone follows/
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#43
SamuelPaulBass said:
I originally bought the bass for 500 and when I got it she needed some much needed electronics updating. Guy gave me a nice refund of 150 but now I'm just trying to locate a pickup. I'm not sure if my bass is an early elite or a sb-r80 with a rare finish. I just want this bass to have a lot of tone options and haven't been too familiar with these style.of pickups. Sorry if I'm being a noob
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I have found that these pickups and electronics in original form deteriorate quickly. If you don't care for original style knobs I would do Rautia pickups and all new electronics with CTS pots, switchcraft socket and quality toggle switches. That would give you a new bass essentially with all the tone options available. This would still be under the resale cost. I myself am restoring an SB B&GII to original trying to use all original but it is hard. Both pickups are shot so I will have to break down and get Rautia pickups.
 
#44
Canadian APII said:
I have found that these pickups and electronics in original form deteriorate quickly. If you don't care for original style knobs I would do Rautia pickups and all new electronics with CTS pots, switchcraft socket and quality toggle switches. That would give you a new bass essentially with all the tone options available. This would still be under the resale cost. I myself am restoring an SB B&GII to original trying to use all original but it is hard. Both pickups are shot so I will have to break down and get Rautia pickups.
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Thank you for a your help. I appreciate all the info and knowledge you've passed on! I def will get new pots and input Jack along with the little toggle switches. It's all cheap and worth it in the end
 
#45
SamuelPaulBass said:
Thank you for a your help. I appreciate all the info and knowledge you've passed on! I def will get new pots and input Jack along with the little toggle switches. It's all cheap and worth it in the end
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Keep the original equipment. They can be refurbished sometimes. I have many original pots and switches. Often only one component will go.
 
#47
SamuelPaulBass said:
got it. I thank u for all of your help. I contact Kent and we are cooking up a plan! Can't wait for this bass to sound much better.
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It would be great if you could post some sound clips for us. All Kent told me was "they sound better". To be able to put some clips of all the MB pickup builders would help many make the correct decision for themselves.
 
#48
Canadian APII said:
It would be great if you could post some sound clips for us. All Kent told me was "they sound better". To be able to put some clips of all the MB pickup builders would help many make the correct decision for themselves.
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I ordered the MM MB pickups from Rautia today. I'm doing a full overhaul of the electronics. I'll be sure to post sound clips and a YouTube video.
I also have the bridge pickup for sale
 

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#49
SamuelPaulBass said:
I ordered the MM MB pickups from Rautia today. I'm doing a full overhaul of the electronics. I'll be sure to post sound clips and a YouTube video.
I also have the bridge pickup for sale
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I am doing the same as you. Rautia MM\MBs. I tried an original electronics loom but I get heavy noise so one of the components is not correct. I may just go all new with CTS, Switchcraft and Sprague. I have also been wanting to try that paint on shielding.
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#50
As mentioned in another, less relevant, thread, I have a May 1980 batwing SB-900 with dying MB-I's.

I spoke to Veijo at Rautia Guitars and he said that a couple of his MB-1E's would do the trick. They are now on order.

I was also looking for a wiring diagram for my SB-900. There were some lost links for some in one of the bass forums and I was able to find and speak to the creator (Julien).

He has kindly given me the diagrams and these permalinks:

ORIGINAL ARIA PRO II SB-900 CIRCUIT:
http://static.jdel.org/sb900_original.png

CUSTOM CIRCUIT WITH SINGLE VOLUME AND VARITONE:
http://static.jdel.org/sb900_custom.png


sb900_custom.png sb900_original.png
 
#51
Hi

I have an Aria sb 900 that has a broken bridge pickup.

I did a tough escalation with Aria to purchase the replacement pickup. Unfortunately what I got is definitely not of the same quality, the output volume is too low compared to the original bridge pickup.

I have two questions:
could you recommend a pickup to replace the faulty one with?
The neck pickup is a humbucker with three colored (signal) cables plus ground. All humbuckers have 4 colored (signal) cables plus ground. If I took a normal humbucker, how do I connect them to replace the bad pickup?

Thanking you for your attention and waiting for your kind feedback, I greet you.

Alberto
 
#52
Alberto Tir said:
Hi

I have an Aria sb 900 that has a broken bridge pickup.

I did a tough escalation with Aria to purchase the replacement pickup. Unfortunately what I got is definitely not of the same quality, the output volume is too low compared to the original bridge pickup.

I have two questions:
could you recommend a pickup to replace the faulty one with?
The neck pickup is a humbucker with three colored (signal) cables plus ground. All humbuckers have 4 colored (signal) cables plus ground. If I took a normal humbucker, how do I connect them to replace the bad pickup?

Thanking you for your attention and waiting for your kind feedback, I greet you.

Alberto
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Is it close enough to the strings. Often people crank it down into the body and it misses the sweet spot.
 
#60
poochiecheeks said:
3 years on, what is the best source for replacement Aria pickups? Are the Kent Armstrongs close enough to the original specs?
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The Kent Armstrong pickup made in the USA certainly is great. I ordered a couple different ones from the the UK based Kent Armstrong (run by Kent’s Don apparently) and while good they were both noticeably lower in output than stock. Oddly in his item description he says they are overwound as the original pickups lacked enough heft. Ummm no not all. I’ve owned nearly a dozen vintage Aria SBs and couldn’t be more untrue.

With the new reissue SB basses I wonder if Aria will offer the pickup as a buyable part?
 

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